Message-recording instrument



(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. G. WILSON.

MESSAGE RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

No. 426.554. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. C. WILSON.

MESSAGE RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

No. 426,554. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

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UNITED. STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN C. NVILSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

` MESSAGE-RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,554, dated April29, 1890.

Application iled June 25, 1888- Serial No. 278,170. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. VILSON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inMessage-Recording Instruments, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.-

This invention has for its obj eet to construct a message-recording`instrument especially applicable for police-signaling purposes andadapted to register all signals transmitted from a police-signal box tothe central station.

The register isadapted to record all on-dntyor patrol signals silently,and upon the occurrence of a special'signal or one requiring immediateattention to bring into operation an audible alarm or distinguishablesignal. The registeris desired to feed a definite length of paper`forward for each signal, and to bring into operation a time-stamp,whichoperates to stamp the time upon the strip of paper upon which the signalis bein gor has been recorded. The register 'is also designed to effect,through suitable intermediatemeehanism, the answerback transmitter.

The invention consists in details of construction to be hereinafterpointed out.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a register embodying this invention;Fig. 2, a vertical section of the register shown in Fig. l, taken on thedotted line Fig. 3, a detail of the creeper to be described; Fig. 4, avertical section of the register shown in Fig. 1,

taken on the dotted' line y fy; Fig. 5, a detail of the inking device tobe referred to; Fig. G, a detail of the winding device to be described;

Fig. 7, a detail of the Winder, and Fig. S aY diagram showing theseveral parts of the register and circuits.

The paper upon which the signals are to be recorded is placed or woundin the form of a coil upon a reel @placed upon a stem or pin a', fixedto the outer' end of an arm a2, fixed to or formed as a part of thebox-like frame A, containing all the operating part-s. The reel a isprevented from slipping off the stein by a nut CL3.

The paper is passed through a slot 20X, formed iu one of the side wallsof the boxlike frame and beneath a roll 21X, and is presented to thepaper-feeding devices now to be described. The paper-feeding devicesconsist of a wheel 22", having a toothed or serrated edge fixed to ashaft l), having its bearings in the frame-work, and also of a rotatingpresser-wheel b', loosely mounted on an arm b2, pivoted to theframe-work, the outer end b3 of said arm projecting or extending throughan opening in one of the side walls of the main frame. A spiral springb4 is placed beneath the end b3 of the arm be, the tendency of which isto maintain the rollerpresser b in contact with the toothed wheel 22x orupon the paper which passes over the toothed wheel 22X, thereby pressingthe paper in contact with said toothed wheel 22", by which it is fedforward. The paper is fed forward beneath the spring-arms c, attached tothe under side of the ink-receiver c', and thence forward beneath thespring-arms c?, thereby holding the paper upon the plate c3.

To mark or print the signal upon the paper, which, it is to beunderstood, is done by either dots or dashes, one or moremarking-surfaces c4 are provided, (herein shown as four in number,)formed as a part of or attached to a roll or sleeve 0'", mounted uponthe rod or shaft (l, extending the entire width of the frames. A toothedwheel c"', fixed to the sleeve e", is engaged by a pinion c?, fixed to ashaft 08,10- cated beueath the sleeve, said shaft es having fixed to ita pinion el", which is engaged bya toothed wheel cl2, fixed to the shaftb, above referred to. By the arrangement of gearing the marking-surfaceswill be revolved in a direction opposite to the movement of the paperitself.

The marking-surfaces c* are located just above the paper, and the paperis lifted into contact with said surfaces by pens, and as I have hereinshown four such surfaces four peus e are also employed, the free orouter ends of which when lifted strike against the under side of thepaper and lift it against the marking-surfaces. The pens c are attachedto the armature-carrying levers c', pivotcd at- @2 to a suitableframe-work, the said levers c having attached to the under side thereofarmatures c ol' the electro-magnets c, four elcotro-magncts being hereinshown. The electro- IOO magnets c4.are placed in different circuits, andhence are independently operative.

The marking-surfaces are su pplied with ink by suitable felted rolls f,bearing directly upon them, said rolls f being loosely pivoted to orjournaled in the outer ends of arms or framesf, loosely mounted upon arod f2, held in suitable slots f 3, cut in the side plates f4. The rollsf fall by gravity, as best shown in Fig. 5. A rod f5 is attached vto therod f2, extending laterally through an opening in the main frame, (seeFig. 1,) which may be grasped by the hand and drawn in the direction ofthe arrow 2, the rod f2 sliding. in the slots fis until the felted rollsf bear upon an ink-roll g, placed in the ink-reservoir c and fixed to ashaft g. A toothed wheel g2 is fixed to the shaft g', which is engagedby a toothed Wheel g3, fixed t0 the shaft d, upon which latter' shaftthe sleeve c5 is mounted. It will'thus be seen that the felted orabsorbent rolls f may besupplied with ink Whenever desired, and willcontinually bear upon the markingsurfaces, as described.

The motor mechanism employed for the register is one that is normallyWound, it comprisingthe drum B, containing the mainsprin g mounted onthe winding-shaft B. A ratchet- Wheel c' is fixed on the winding-shaft Band a pawl'i, pivoted at i2, engages the teeth of the ratchet-Wheel, itbeing normally held in engagement by the spring i3.

The Winder (see Fig. 7) consist-s of a ratchettoothed block 30, held andfreely rotatable in a hand-piece 31, said block having a squared hole atthe center to receive the squared end of the shaft B. Aspring-controlled paWl 32 is also employed for enabling forward rotationof the ratchet 30. As the shaft B extends entirely through .the mainframe-Work and has each of its ends squared, as shown, it may be engagedby the Winder at either side of the machine.

A Geneva stop F is used, in connection with the Winding-shaft, in usualmanner.

The drum B is provided circumferentially with teethj,`f'orming the maindriving-gear, which engages the pinion j', fixed to a shaft j?, saidshaft having also fixed to it a toothed wheel j3,\ vhich engages anddrives a pinionji, fixed to the shaft d. A toothed wheel j is also fixedto the shaft (l, which engages and drives the toothed Wheel c, fixed tothe shaft b. Another toothed Wheel j is also fixed to the shaft d, whichengages and drives a pinion f, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) fixed to theshaft j.

The escape-Wheelj9 is fixed to the shaftjs, aud the palletj10 is pivotedto the main frame, which co-operates with the escape-Wheel. A detentj1L(see dotted lines, Fig. 2) is fixed to the shaftjs. A releasing lever orbar n, fixed to the rod fn', has at its outer or extreme end aprojection which engages and holds the detentjl?. A lug 'n2 isadjustably fixed to the rod n', which is acted upon by a rod ori, ad-

justably attached to the upper end of the .armature-carrying lever n4,fixed to the rod a5, the armature a of said lever being attracted by thestarting-magnet M. An arm 917 is also fixed to the rod ni, the upper endof Which co-operates with or vibra-tes between adjustable front and backstops 3 4. It is designed that the shaft ji shall make onethird of arevolution each time the start-ingmagnet M operates, and hence a disk asis fixed to the shaftjz, which has on its periphery three notches, as a,and the releasing-lever 'n has on its under side a lug or projection nm,which enters one or another notch no.

By the motor mechanism herein described the feeding device is adapted tofeed a definite length of paper forward each time it operates.

The registeris placed in practice in a local or normally-open circuit,and the Wire 5 from the local battery includes the starting-magnet M,and has, as herein shown, four branches U 7 S 9, which branchesinclude,respectively, the several electro-magnets e4. Each branch 6 7 89 is normally open, and is adapted to be closed by the armature of thefour relays K, which are included in independent closed circuits, thesaid wires 6 -7 8 9 leaving the register at R R2 R3 R4, respectively, toinclude the said relays, and returning to the local battery and enteringthe register by the Wire 5 at thepost By this arrangement it will beseen that Wheneverany one of the main relays K operates thestarting-magnetM operates and one of the electro-magnets c4, and shoulda second signal arrive on another circuit before the first was completedanother electro-magnet e4 operates, and the armature of thestarting-magnet remains attracted or is properly responsive. As theelectro-magnets e4 operate their armatures cause the pens to lift thepaper against the rotating marking-roll. y

The register herein shown is especially adapted for police-signalingpurposes to register all calls, and the principle employed IOC- IIC'

is substantially as shown and described in United States Patent No.359,688, granted to B. J. Noyes, March 22, 1887. In the patent referredto all patrol or on-duty calls were registered silently, and all specialcalls were registered, and simultaneously a b ell responded to therebycall attention, and the transmitters at the boxes were designed toeffect a change in the current for intervals of short duration for allpatrol-calls and to effect like changes in addition to a change of longduration for all special calls. In the present invention all impulses ofshort duration are registered as above described, and on the arrival ofan impulse of long duration a creeper,nowto be described, operates. Thecreeper, as herein shown, (see Fig. 3,) consists of a sector m, havin ga serrated edge, is loosely pivoted to an arm m', fixed to the shaft n',and a toothed or serrated wheel m2 is fixed to the shaftjg, upon theperiphery of which the than otherwise.

sector bears. When the parts are at rest, the sector m drops by gravityout of engagement with the wheel m2; but just as soon as the magnet M isenergized the said sector is thrown into engagement with the wheel 'm2,and by friction the said sector is raised or turned upward on its pivot.The arm carrying the sector, being fixed to the shaft n', will bevibrated in response to the impulses, and hence will retain the sectorin engagement with the wheel m2 much longer on impulses of long durationAt the rear side ot the sector a small pin projects, upon which reststhe outer or free end of a spring m3, attached to the main frame-beneath the spring m4, but free from it. As the sector is lifted thespring m3 is raised, and upon thel occurrence of an impulse of longduration said spring is raised sufeiently to make contact with thespring m4.

The armature-levers e of the magnets e" each have a back-stop cl2, andwires @12X con- 'nect the back-stop with the binding-posts 13,

' with the exception of the lowest one, are ineluded in said shunts, sothat the armaturecarrying levers e of the Vmagnets e", by electricallyconnecting the wires @12X and 613x, normally short-circuit the saidannunciator-magnets. The' lowest annunciator-magnet e16 is included in ashunt-wire e30, leading directly to the battery, but in opera'tion isthe same as the other magnets ew, the shunt-wires of which leadindirectly to the battery. lVhen any o'ne of the said levers areattracted, one of the shunts will be broken, thereby including one ofthe annunciator-magnets, and when contact of the pens m3 m4 is made thelocal circuit thus formed is closed, passing from the plate 10, pensr11/3071.4, Wire 12, post 13, thence through the armature-carryinglevers of all the magnets e4 until it arrives at the one which isattracted, and the current at this point passes through the shunt andits annunciatormagnet' and thence through the remaining armature-levers,returning to plate by wire 20X.

The annunciator-magnets herein shown are adapted to release a drop,which vin falling may, if desired, close a local circuit, (not shown,)including a bell, when t-he current passes through its coils; but saiddrop forms no part of this invention, and may or may not be employed. Ifsaid drop should be omitted, the bell would be included directly in thelocal circuit of the register.

A disk o is iixed to the shaft g', which has on its periphery two seriesof contacts, and two pens of o2 lie in the path of movement of theprojections of said disk, one for each series'. One of the pens, as o',is adapted to close a local circuit, in which is included anelectro-magnet which is adapted to operate a time-stamp,said localcircuit passing through plate at 25, disk 0, pen o', wire 26,

post 27, thence including the electro-magnetM 110 of the time-stamp, thebattery, and to post to the plate. This local circuit is adapted to beclosed after the signal has been received, so as to stamp upon the paperthe correct time of the reception of each signal.

In another application, tiled by me January 25, 1887, Serial No.22d-L34, a circuit-closing disk was shown adapted to close a localcircuit to effect the operation of a time-stamp, so that l do not hereinlay claim to such as therein shown. rlhe other pen 02 is adapted tocooperate with its series of contacts and close a local circuit,including an electro; magnet which effects the operation of apole-changing transmitter, by which impulses ot' oppesite polarity aretransmitted, which are responsive on a suitable alarm, as a bell, placedin the boxes on the street.

It is designed to transmit one or more impulses at the complet-ion ofthe reception of each signal, and hence the shaft g,carrying the disk 0,makes one revolution for each complete signal sent in, or while theshaft 3'2 makes one-third of a revolution, and the contacts on the disko are arranged to engage the pen o2 just as the said disk completes itsrevolution. This local circuit passes from the Aplate at 25, through thedisk 0, pen 02, wire 30 to post 31, thence including the operatingmagnet 112 ot the pole-chan ger, and the battery-post to plate.

l claim- 1. ln a register, the normally-wound motor, releasing-lever,and starting-magnet, combined with the recording-pen and markingroller,between which the paper is4 fed, the ink-roll and the reservoir in whichit revolves, the ink-conveying roller bearing upon the marking-rollerand journaled in a frame, and a movable rod supporting said frame,movement of which rod brings the said ink-conveying roller into and outof Contact with the ink-roller, substantial] y as described.

2. Ina register, a normally-wound motor, releasing-lever,starting-magnet, and armature-carryin g lever, combined with a wheel, asm2, driven by the motor and having a milled or roughened edge, and aloosely-pivoted segment, as m, located adjacent to the said wheel m2,but normally free from contact therewith, said segment fm, havin g amilled or roughened edge and adapted to be moved into engagement withthe said wheel m2 by the said armature-carryin g lever, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

3. In a register, a normally-wound motor, releasing-lever,startiug-magnet, a recording pen and pen-magnet, and paper-feedingmechanism, combined with a wheel having a roughened edge or surface, aloosely-pivoted segment havinga roughencd edge or surface and adapted tobe moved into engagement with the wheel, and a contact-pen engaged bythe said segment and adawed to be moved IOO IIO

thereby to change the condition of L circuit on a prolonged Contact withthe Wheel, substantially as described.

4. In a register, the normally-Wound motor and starting-magnet andrecording-pen nia-gnei-s e, Combined with annunciator-dropsindependently controlled by 'che said recordingpen magnets,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of 1o two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN C. WILSON.

Witnesses:

EERNICE J. NOYES, JfC. SEARS.

